Tokyo Soft Rice King.

That's right, this plan was discussed beforehand.

Because Hikawa Makoto believed that Saionji Mato couldn't possibly win.

She was convinced that when she faced Amayu Hikaru in the finals, her younger sister would definitely lose.

Everything was planned with the premise that the younger sister would fail...

That can't be right!

That's not right!

Hikawa Makoto bit her lower lip hard, grinding her pale lips until they turned red and almost bled.

She lowered her head, and wisps of hair fell across her forehead, obscuring her red-rimmed eyes.

Makoto Hikawa finally realized the problem.

How could I, as the older sister, have 'never thought of supporting my younger sister from the very beginning'?

What older sister can turn a blind eye when her younger sister is in trouble?

But all I did was watch... I never even offered her the simplest support like cheering her on.

Hikawa Makoto knew the reason, but she just didn't want to admit it.

All along, she had been silently watching over Zhencheng from the shadows, watching her slowly improve, grow, and change...

They are becoming more and more like themselves.

From that time on, Hikawa Makoto felt that her younger sister had gone down the wrong path and began to avoid contact with Makoto.

He would even yell at her, "Stop pretending!" Was it really just because he cared about his sister and thought about her best interests?

Isn't it because I 'don't like the look of her'...?

Because what Hikawa Makoto truly hates isn't her younger sister, but... her former self who was ignorant, self-righteous, arrogant, and haughty...!

It is because of self-loathing that Makoto Hikawa projects onto her younger sister, who is imitating her past self, that her relationship with her sister becomes increasingly strained.

But Makoto is not the person she used to be.

I knew it perfectly well.

How childish... I'm the one who's acting impulsively and childishly...!

I don't deserve to be an older sister at all...!

So when she proposed to switch lives with her sister, it wasn't just about wanting her sister to live a wealthy life, but also about escaping the responsibilities of being an older sister.

The more I think about it, the more despicable I feel...

What have I been doing all this time?

Just how much did my sister... Zhencheng have to endure all by herself?

The pain in her lips became clearer, but she wished it could be even worse, so that the dull ache in her heart wouldn't be so unbearable.

A tear finally fell, landing on the back of my hand and splashing up tiny droplets.

She released her lower lip, which had turned white from being bitten, got up and rushed to the railing, shouting into the arena with a sob in her voice.

"Get up! Orange! You can do it!"

Yes, it has nothing to do with plans or anything. I just wanted to cheer her on as she continues to work hard. What's wrong with that?

Makoto Hikawa's sharp voice pierced through the noise.

Suddenly, the entire room fell silent for a moment.

All eyes were focused on the swaying figure on the field.

Then more people chimed in, their voices rising higher and higher, and a more intense wave of noise erupted.

"Go for it, little girl! Use your size advantage! Overpower your opponent with your strength!"

"Exactly! One-sided matches are so boring! Let's have some exciting matches!"

"Charge! President Saionji! You are the pride of our Shirayuri Girls' High School!"

Saionji Machi heard their voices, and her unfocused gaze returned to focus.

Suddenly, feeling returned to my numb limbs, and my blood started flowing again.

Amidst the thunderous pounding of my heart, that voice continued to echo, growing ever clearer.

'Don't lose to so-called geniuses!'

These words were like a heavy hammer shattering the shackles binding her legs, allowing Saionji Machi to stand up and steady herself.

"Really...!"

The shock and fear felt by Yun Yao from the lightning-fast slash were fading, and the courage and power brought by the voices of the crowd spread through his body, like a wildfire, igniting every inch of his flesh and blood.

A smile involuntarily appeared on Saionji Machi's face beneath the helmet and mask, half of it helpless, and the other half... excited.

Yes, this is a rare opportunity for revenge, how can we give it up so quickly?

It was from the moment she lost to the girl in front of her that Saionji Mato's self, which she had built up over a decade by imitating her older sister, began to crumble and peel away, exposing her sensitive and fragile heart.

Although the original plan was for her, a temporarily fabricated personality, to take the blame for the failure in place of the main personality, and for Kuroba Akira and Hikawa Makoto to be responsible for reviving Saionji Mato after she was 'restored to her original state'...

But she has now changed her mind.

If we're going to lose, we can't lose this badly.

Losing like this, without any resistance, will only make you more disappointed in your true self, making you feel that you have been doing useless work all along.

While the goal was to make her realize the gap in talent and thus face reality, it would be a huge step backward if she lost all her self-confidence and reverted to being the 'useless little sister' who couldn't do anything without her older sister.

Moreover... he, and his 'prototype', are both cheering him on.

Then I, as the 'perfect older sister,' must not let them down!

"call……"

Saionji Machi adjusted her breathing, regained her stance, and faced Ame-no-Hikaru, who was holding a bamboo sword high.

The next strike was also from Yun Yao, swift as lightning. He only saw the 'starting move' before the sword was already in front of him.

But this time, Saionji Machi reacted and jumped backward. The sword that was supposed to hit her face ended up hitting her forearm instead.

"Hit in the forearm! Second base! The first round is won by player Tianyu Guang!"

"...!"

I still can't see it clearly...!

Even if the fighting spirit is rekindled, no new abilities will suddenly awaken. Although the body may be temporarily enhanced by adrenaline, without being able to see Yun Yao's trajectory, there will still be no chance to fight back.

Faced with absolute speed, counter-attack techniques that rely on striking first after being caught off guard are simply ineffective.

If you specialize in counter-attack techniques, you'll be powerless to fight back... No, why be so fixated on counter-attacks?

Since the opponent's sword swing is too fast to react to, then strike first before the opponent can launch an attack!

In the second round, the moment the referee gave the start signal, Saionji Masato rushed forward, holding the sword in one hand and leaning forward to extend the tip of the sword as far as possible.

Compared to a slash, a thrust with the shortest distance will hit the opponent sooner.

However, Tian Yuguang remained motionless, his sword tip drooping slightly, as if he and the Dao were one.

In previous matches, there were others who thought of launching the first attack, but they all clearly underestimated Ameyu Hikaru's strength.

Her speed is so fast because of her innate, feather-light body, which is the same talent as Shion's S-rank lightness and flexibility.

Therefore, his body is also exceptionally agile, and attacks without the speed of Yun Yao simply cannot hit him.

Sweat trickled down Zhencheng's chin.

She had launched more than ten consecutive attacks, but still couldn't reach Ameyu Hikaru's kendo uniform.

Every time the bamboo sword was about to touch her body, she would always manage to dodge with minimal movement... just like me, but her dynamic vision was even better!

But why didn't she fight back?

If you use Cloud Radiance while dodging, you'll have no way to avoid it at all...

The answer is 'cannot be used'.

Yunyao is a technique that aims to kill with a single blow, requiring a 'charge' process.

Yes, such a fast slash would be too overpowered if it could be used casually.

So she was just waiting for herself to exhaust herself, and when she stopped, she could use Yun Yao to end her life.

That being the case...

Saionji Masato stopped her pointless barrage of attacks.

Tianyu Guang seized the moment, raised his bamboo sword, and instantly adjusted his posture.

Although it is called charging up, it is actually being done while adjusting the posture, and can be activated the moment the posture is completed.

The bamboo sword slashed down with a whoosh, its speed within the gap of the Heavenly Feather Light, so fast that no one could dodge it.

But... Saionji Machen retaliated!

Even if you can't see clearly, it doesn't matter. As long as you know 'when the attack will be launched,' you can launch a counterattack against 'the attack that has not yet come'!

This is a gamble based on the premise that the other party will definitely use Yunyao.

To launch a counterattack in advance, just like when I was learning ballroom dancing, I desperately tried to keep up with my older sister...

That way, even if I'm slower than her, my counterattack will hit her first.

A series of crisp striking sounds rang out.

"One...! A hit to the face! Saionji Machi goes home!"

Even in such a high-speed duel, experienced referees can still determine whose attack hits the opponent first.

Saionji Majutsu was very lucky; the tip of her sword hit the edge of Ame-no-Hikaru's helmet, while Ame-no-Hikaru's sword cut her forearm. This distance became the key factor for Saionji Majutsu to take down the first book.

If he hadn't been wearing a mask, this sword strike would probably have missed... Clearly, Ame no Hikaru hadn't worn sword-fighting protective gear much, which is why he misjudged the distance between the sword and his head.

"Hey...! This seems to be the first time in the entire tournament that Ameyu Hikaru has conceded a point to her opponent, right?"

"Now that you mention it... it does seem like you're the first one...! Could it be... there really is a chance?!"